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Sluggish Economy Doesnt Mean You
Can Take Employees for Granted
A series of polls commissioned by CareerBuilder have found:
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The percentage of employees satisfied with their jobs dropped seven

points this year, to 53 percent,
Principal reasons for dissatisfaction and a desire to change jobs include
salary (66 percent) and not feeling valued (65 percent), and
More than half of employers report they currently have job openings for
which they cannot find qualified candidates.
Addressing these challenges isn't easy in an environment of constrained
resources. Nearly two-thirds of employers with 50 or fewer employees feel as
though they are still in the midst of a recession. More than half of all
employers polled are not expecting their company's revenue to go up in the
first half of this year.
"Free" Remedies for Dissatisfied Employees
The good news is, you can do a lot to keep good, hard-to-replace employees
on board that doesn't involve throwing money at the problem. As you will
read below, salary ranks fourth on the list of "top reasons for staying on the
job." The third one also involves dollars, but not necessarily more dollars.
Here's the list, followed by the percentage of employee citing them as
reasons for staying in their current position:
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1
"I like the people I work with" (54 percent). Observation: Try to get an
objective feeling for how congenial your workplace is. Don't overlook
compatibility as a factor in hiring decisions -- other things being equal.
2
"I have a good work-life balance" (50 percent). Observation:Don't
overlook the power of allowing some flexibility in work scheduling -- both
hours and, when feasible, work location.
3
"I have good benefits" (49 percent). Observation: "Good benefits" isn't
limited to the ones you pay for. Most employees also value the
opportunity to purchase so-called "voluntary" benefits, such as disability
income, accident income replacement and life insurance policies due to
the convenience of payroll deduction, group underwriting and rates, and
the vetting process you undertake before selecting voluntary benefit
providers available to your staff.
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4
"I make a good salary" (43 percent). Observation: If your financial picture
is such that you simply cannot afford to pay competitive salaries, do as
much as you can in the intangible areas. Also, level with employees about
the reason salary budgets aren't increasing as rapidly as both you and the
employee would like. Position the issue as a matter of joint concern and,
without inspiring false hopes, try to offer a general scenario in which your
business will pick up (allowing for better raises), and the role employees
can play in making that happen. That can transform the dynamic from "us
versus them" to "we're all in the same boat."
5
"There is still a lot of uncertainty in the job market" (35 percent).
Observation: Assuming your company is not going away any time soon
and you aren't planning any layoffs, you can reinforce the message that
you have a good track record of keeping employees on board in good
times and bad.
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6
"I have a quick commute" (35 percent). Observation: Lucky employees!
7
"I have a good boss who watches out for me" (32 percent).
Observation: You should always strive to have well-trained,
compassionate, yet firm supervisors. Employees like having bosses they
believe care about them, but don't respect pushover bosses.
8
"I feel valued and my accomplishments are recognized" (29 percent).
Observation: As with #7 above, this is human resource management 101.
Other surveys frequently show this as an even more highly ranked reason
employees stick around.
Top 10 Staffing Challenges
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Employers responding to a Harris poll conducted on behalf of CareerBuilder

ranked their top staffing challenges as follows:
1. Retaining top talent (32 percent)
2. Lifting employee morale (31 percent)
3. Providing competitive compensation (27 percent)
4. Worker burnout (26 percent)
5. Maintaining productivity levels (25 percent)
6. Managing organizational changes (20 percent)
7. Employee engagement and Providing upward mobility
(tied at 17 percent)
1. Providing enough training activities (15 percent)
2. Cutting down on cost-per-hire (12 percent)
3. Lack of succession planning and Limited recruitment budget
(tied at 11 percent)
Valuing "Mature" Workers
A final notable statistic from another recent CareerBuilder survey: "Mature"
(defined as 50+ years old) workers are becoming more highly valued, even as
their salary expectations are dropping.
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Experienced, older workers do have a
lot to offer, of course -- including
emotional maturity, as their
euphemistic label suggests. That can be
an important calming influence within
your workforce. That is particularly true
if it's dominated by high-energy, highly
competitive and ego-driven employees
who, despite other strengths, can
wreak havoc with the quality of your
work environment.
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The CareerBuilder survey found 53 percent of employers plan to hire from
the 50+ demographic this year, a step up from 48 percent last year. Two-
thirds reported they would consider hiring a mature worker for a job they are
over-qualified for. This represents a shift from the view that over-qualified
workers will bail out at the first opportunity.
This may be partly attributable to the fact that many older workers are not
expecting salaries commensurate with their experience: More than one-third
of employers reported receiving job applications from mature workers for
entry-level positions. In some cases, that might merely reflect desperation on
the part of those applicants. Yet in others, it might just be a case of people
winding down their careers and seeking a less demanding job.
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